Improvement in mail-bags



J, H. WEAVER & DeW. W. JUDSON Mail-Bag.

No. 210,586. Patented Dec. 3,1878.

fl 2 268 2: NT R5].

mPEIEM, PHOI'O-LITMQGRAPMER. WASKINGIOI. D. 0.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

JAMES H. WEAVER AND DE WITT W. JUDSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT lN MAIL-BAGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 210,586, dated December 3, 1878 application filed November 25, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES H. WEAVER and DE WITT W. JUDSON, both of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bags, of which the following, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification Figure 1 is a perspective of a mail-bag embodying our invention; Fig. 2, a vertical central section of the same; and Fig. 3, a side view of the bag before being stitched together along its vertical edges.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts.

Our invention relates wholly to the means employed for closing the mouth of the bag and for holding the same.

A represents the body of the bag. B B are broad flaps, applied to the upper end of the bag. The lower or confined ends of these flaps are, by preference, somewhat wider than their upper or free ends, as shown. We also deem it preferable to lap the lower parts of the flaps along their lateral edges, as indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 3; but neither the tapering form of the flaps nor the lapping referred to is absolutely essential.

G and G are metallic staples projecting upward from the outer face of one of the said flaps,and firmly secured thereto. These staples will be made sufficiently secure if their lower ends enter a metallic strip arranged on and. riveted to the under face of the flap to which they are applied, as represented at a and a, Fig. 2.

The flap may be further strengthened by applying to it a leather strip, a. An easy way of applying these parts to the flap is to stitch upon its upper face the strip a, arranged as shown, and to slot this strip and the flap to receive the staples. The staples may then be pushed up through these slots, and the metallic strip to which the staples are applied should then be riveted to the flap, it being understood that the staples are headed on their ends and made fast to the said strip.

D D are eyes or slots in the ends of the flaps, to which the staples are not applied. These slots may be strengthened or bound by means of slotted leather disks E E.

F is a metallic bar, linked at one end to the outer staple, O, and provided at the other end with a snap-hook, G.

Extending a little way above the upper face of the bar F are the side projections b b, having therein the lateral grooves b b, which terminate at the inner end of the bar, as Shown.

In order to close and fasten the bag thus constructed, the flap provided with the staples O and O is first turned in or across the mouth of the bag. The other flaps, B B, are then turned in, one after the other, and pushed down upon the staple G, which then passes through the eyes or slots in the end of each flap, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The hook Gr is thenhooked into the exposed part of the staple O. The mouth of the bag will thus be tightly enough closed to keep the contents of the bag within it under all ordinary circumstances, it being understood that the bag is intended only for newspapers and other like matter. The bag, however, can be easily opened at any time by depressing the spring of the snap-hook and disengaging the latter from the staple O.

The bar F serves as a handle, by means of which the bag may be carried. It is also adapted to receive the slide-tag.

The strip a, when such a strip is deemed necessary, may be made of leather or canvas, when a flexible material is regarded as preferable.

\Ve do not claim, broadly, the method herein shown of concentrating the flaps of a mailbag and attaching them by slots to a central or otherwise located staple; but,

Having thus described our invention, what we do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A mail-bag provided at its upper end with the broad flaps B B, one of the latter being provided with the staple O, and the others slotted to receive the said staple, in combination with a snap'hook linked to the bag.

2. The combination of the grooved or re cessed bar or handle F, provided at one end with the snap-hook G, the staples G and G, and the flaps B B, all. arranged substantially as specified with relation to each other and the mouth of the bag A, for the purposes set forth.

JAMES H. WEAVER. DE WITT W. JUDSON. Witnesses:

F. F. WARNER, CHAS. H. ScHoFF. 

